Tag Archives: early onset dementia

An article in HealthDay recently reported that researchers in Sweden found that alcohol intoxication can be a significant risk factor for early onset dementia in males. The condition is defined as the symptoms being in place before the age of 65.

The study appears on the Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) and cites follow-up of nearly 500,000 Swedish men who had served in their military. The average age of early onset dementia was 54 and frequent alcohol intoxication was at the top of the list of risk factors.

Additional contributing factors noted by HealthDay included stroke, use of antipsychotic drugs, depression, drug abuse, a father with dementia, poor mental function as a teen, being short and having high blood pressure. These combined to account for nearly 70 percent of the cases they discovered.

The good news taken from the study is that many of the risk factors can be prevented, which shows that the prevalence of the condition can be reduced substantially.

The downside is that this is an example of one more mental health issue that substance abuse can create. If you or someone you love is currently having a problem with drugs or alcohol, contact Desert Cove Recovery for information on treating substance abuse issues.